Poop is so hot right now. Blame soaring fertilizer prices.

• With fertilizer prices skyrocketing, farmers are looking to livestock manure as a possible replacement.
• The Russia-Ukraine conflict has strained fertilizer supply and left farmers struggling to keep crop yields strong.

Farmers are looking for something, anything, to replace commercial fertilizer amid soaring prices. Many are turning to an age-old solution: poop.

Demand for animal manure has skyrocketed in recent weeks as farmers rush to find fertilizer alternatives ahead of the spring planting season, according to a new report from Reuters. The new interest is so strong that, instead of paying to remove animal waste, some livestock farmers are making side businesses out of selling manure. Some cow farms even have future waste sold out through the end of 2022.

"Manure is absolutely a hot commodity," agriculture consultant Allen Kampschnieder told Reuters. "We've got waiting lists."

The unusual demand for animal poo comes amid major turmoil in the global agricultural sector. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has hampered fertilizer supply and lifted prices dramatically over the past month. The shakeup has forced US farmers to adjust their plans accordingly. Producers generally expect to plant a record amount of soybeans through 2022 and cut down on corn farming, as the former requires less fertilizer, according to the USDA's latest Prospective Plantings report published March 31.

The rally across nutrient prices also stands to cut down on total farming acreage for farmers unable to stomach higher costs. That could exacerbate food shortages already weighing on the global market. The conflict powered a sharp increase in wheat prices over the past month. If the fertilizer crunch lasts, the global food supply could be hindered for years as farm yields struggle to fill the hole.

Manure offers some reprieve for fertilizer-desperate farmers, but its use comes with serious risks. For one, animal poop can't fully replace commercial nutrients, experts told Reuters. Sowing crops with manure could pose serious problems for farms if it contaminates groundwater or nearby streams, they added.

The benefits might still outweigh the risks. Fertilizer prices are expected to climb 12% through the year following a 17% gain in 2021, according to estimates from the USDA. That leaves nutrients as the fastest-growing production cost for farmers.

With the Ukraine-Russia conflict raging on with no end in sight, animal poop is looking more and more attractive for struggling farmers.